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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Videos circulating on social media Thursday, Jan. 22, show U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents returning to construction sites where homes are being built in the El Paso area, appearing to search for specific individuals.
Thursday’s videos are the latest sighting of ICE officers in the Borderland.
ICE, Texas DPS conduct immigration raid in far East El Paso
In one of the videos, you hear a builder say to an ICE officer, “Here again?” and “Again?” in Spanish. Later in the video, the worker jokingly tells the officer, “You’re going to help?” as the officer makes his way to the man recording the interaction.
Two officers speak with the man, as the worker continues to joke about helping workers on site. “You’re here to help?” One of the officers responds in Spanish “Only if you teach us.”
One officer then asks the man for his identification, to which the worker replies, “You guys are always here.” The officer tells the man that the reason he asks is that the last time officers were in the area, workers fled.
“We want to get the ones that jumped last time,” the ICE officer tells the man. The worker tells the officer, “Those guys are long gone.” The video ends with officers talking to other workers at the construction site.
In another video, multiple ICE officers are seen exiting vehicles at a construction site of homes in far East El Paso. The agents are seen with face masks and vests as they make their way towards workers.
Additionally, a helicopter is seen patrolling the area as well.
The renewed presence of ICE at construction sites has sparked concern among workers and residents across El Paso, prompting local elected officials to speak out about the impact of federal enforcement operations on the community and public trust.
KTSM spoke with El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, who weighed in on the continuing ICE operations, saying he was left out of the conversation and seeing “a tremendous amount of aggression” in the Borderland.
“Because they’re not giving me an opportunity to address and let us know and be candid about it as to what happened. Well, we’re seeing a tremendous amount of aggression. We’re seeing a tremendous amount of disregard for individuals that, you know, we know that citizens have been detained. We know that citizens have been arrested, and it’s a shame,”
“We’re one of the safest counties in the entire United States, if they want to get rid of criminals, help us to be more successful at what we do,” Samaniego said.
Samaniego highlights that with an outside agency without knowing or understanding El Paso and its culture, seems to miss the target on the safety of the county’s constituents and morality.
“I mean, we’re not going to be working together with ICE because it doesn’t allow us to do that, plus this sense of immunity, that they’re immune to anything that happens. You can’t allow that in any community.”
El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson acknowledged the City is coordinating with federal law enforcement but stressed continued advocacy for humane immigration policies that respect due process and keep families together.
“…Recent immigration enforcement activity has also created understandable concern among families in our region. El Paso is a community built by immigrants, strengthened by diversity, and guided by compassion and the rule of law. Public safety is best achieved when residents feel safe accessing services, reporting crimes, and sending their children to school and work without fear.
The City is coordinating with community partners to ensure accurate information is shared and that families know where to find support. We will continue to advocate for humane, fair, and orderly immigration policies that respect due process and keep families together whenever possible.
El Paso has always led with dignity and humanity, and we will continue to do so while upholding the law and protecting our residents,” Johnson wrote on social media on Thursday.
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